Face-plate for electrical wall-receptacles.



E J. G. PETERSON. v

FACE PLATE FOR ELECTRICAL WALL RECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, mm.

I. Fig. 2'.

JOI-IANN PETERSON, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB. TO MANHATTAN ELECTRICAL SUPPLY COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

FACE-PLATE FOR ELECTRICAL WALL-RECEITACLES.

"Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Application filed February 19, 1917. Seria1No. 149,384.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, J OHANN G. PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F ace- Plates for Electrical Tall-Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to face-plates for electrical wall receptacles and especially to such faceplates as have openings therein to receive oneor more doors. I might note that although such a face plate is primarily intended for association with electrical wallreceptacles and equivalent boxes, it is capable of general use, so that as a matter of fact the title I have adopted is merely a convenient one. These plates are quite thin, and it is the primary purpose of the invention to provide means of an effective nature for so connecting a door-,or it might be doors with such a plate, as to affect to no appreciable extent the strength of the plate.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification, I have shown in detail one convenient fo'rm of em bodiment of the invention which I will set forth fully in thefollowing description, so that those skilled in the art can practice the invention. The latter, however, is not restricted in this particular, for I may depart therefrom in several respects within the spirit of the invention defined by the claim following said description. For instance in the showing made the plate is equipped with two doors. While this is advantageous in certain mounts, the invention is not limited in this particular but comprehends broadly such a plate or equivalent furnished with one or more of such doors.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a faceplate involving the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section of said face plate.

Figs. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sections on the lines H and 55 respectively of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows respectively and on a larger scale than that of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The face or equivalent plate may be of any suitable construction, that designated by 2 answering satisfactorily in this particular. Said plate as shown is rectangular and is assumed to be of sheet brass and as comparatively thin, being after the usual fashion marginally inset as at 3, although the latter is not always necessary. As shown said'plate has an opening a which may as represented be practically central of the plate and of any desirable shape, as for instance rectangular, although this is a small point. The plate as shown has doors as 5 and 6 which are adapted when closed to fit within the opening and the meeting edges of which have apertures 7 which register to provide a perforation; this, however, is a detail, because the doors might be imperforate. In Fig. lthe doors are supposed to be closed, and at this time they are disposed wholly within the opening l. In Fig. 3they are shown as swung forward or as uncovering the opening 4. As thus far described the face plate and doors are not uncommon, and as I have already noted there may be instances where but a single door is provided, the invention in its broader aspects not concerning this matter. Associatedwith the back of what is shown as the lower'door 5 are hinge members such as hooks 8, while the plate 2 is furnished with practically similar hinge members 9 in alinement with the members 8 transversely of the plate 2 or of the opening therein. The upper door 6 is likewise furnished on its back with hooks 10, duplicates of the hooks 8 and in transverse alinement with the hooks 11 on the rear of the plate 2. The several cooperating hooks 8 and 9 and 10 and 11 associated rigidly with the doors and plate respectively are intended to receive pivot means such as the pins 12 and 13 respectively, the pivot 12 extending through the transversely alined four hooks 8 and 9, while the pivot 13 extends similarly with the upper four transversely disposed hooks 10 and 11. As shown the pivot pins 12 and 13 are continuous from the outer hooks 9 and 9 and 11 and 11, respectively, although this may not in all cases be necessary. As shown the pins 12 and 13 fit against the plate 2 and doors 5 and 6 respectively. I will describe how the respective hooks are connected to the plate and door respectively, and assuming the connections to be rigid, it will be clear that if the pins 12 and 13 have a loose connection with a pair of hooks the doors 5 and 6 can be freely swung open and closed; this, however, is a detail, the elemental consideration being to provide for the proper swing of the two doors.

In the construction shown the hooks 8 are at the ends of a supporting body as the strip or plate 14:, while the hooks 10 are at the ends of a practically similar element 16, the strips or plates in question extending transversely of the doors 5 and 6. As they are connected with their doors in similar fashion, a detailed description of the mounting of one plate or strip will apply to the other, and in this connection reference may be had to Figs. 2 and 5 which are assumed to rep resent the strip 15. Said strip is shown as having counterbores 16 near its ends which bottom in sockets 17 in the upper portions of the door 6 near the sides thereof. From the bottoms of these sockets rise integral studs 18 extending through perforations 19 in the counterbores 16 and headed as at 20 over the bottoms of the counterbores 16. This provides a rigid and substantial way of connecting the plates or butts to the respective doors 5 and 6. At opposite sides of the opening 4 are fastened the strips 21 and with which the hooks 9 and 11 respectively are integral as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. These strips 21 terminate in said hooks 11 and near the hooks are counterbores 22 which fit the sockets 23 in the back of the plate 2 near the corners of the opening 4:.

perforations 26 in the bottoms of the counterbores 23 and are headed as at 27 over said bottoms as best shown in Fig. 1, thus hold' ing the strips 21 securely in position.

Said strips 21 may as shown he provided between their ends with projections 28 integral therewith, constituting suitable stops and adapted to be engaged by the doors 5 and 6 when closed.

What Iclaim is:

A face plate having an opening, a door when closed disposed in the opening, strips at opposite sides of the door having counterbores, the plate having sockets to receive the counterbores and the bottoms of the sockets being provided with integral rivets, the bottoms of the counterbores having openings to receive the rivets and the rivets being headed over the counterbores, said strips also having open hooks at their ends, a strip having counterbores and extending across the door, the door having sockets to receive the last mentioned counterbores and the-bottoms of the sockets having integral rivets extending through perforations in the bottoms of the last mentioned counterbores, and the last mentioned strip having hooks on its inner side, and a pivot extending through the hooks and fitted against the door and plate respectively.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

J OHANN G. PETERSON.

Witnesses:

C. M. MoIsoN, J. F. HEANEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. 

